Wilmington City Council had its first reading on a 30-year tax abatement for a $4 billion Amazon data center Thursday. Five council members voted yes, one no and one abstained to advance the measure to the next stage.
A final vote will occur after two more readings.
The data center would span 471 acres in Wilmington. Amazon estimates it would create at least 100 jobs and $8 million in payroll.
Construction of the data center isn’t yet confirmed to move forward.
Many local residents have expressed opposition to the project.
That includes Tracy Hopkins, who asked city leaders to pause the process so the agreement isn’t rushed.
“Make sure the information is complete, accurate, and addresses all essential aspects, leaving nothing to guesswork or to review at a later time because the devil is in the details, even when they're absent. Make your one vote count,” Hopkins said.
Wilmington city council member Jamie Knowles was the sole no vote. He said there should’ve been more discussion before the council pushed forward.
“The community was not ready for this vote. I think we should have left it one more time,” Knowles said.
A date for the second reading hasn’t been announced. The next city council meeting is scheduled for Dec. 18.
